Echoes of a Lost Life
by ilike2eatbabies
Summary: A watcher and slayer have always had a special kind of bond. But what happens when Giles gets thrust into the future and sees exactly how far that bond can go?


**Echoes of a Lost Life**

**By: ilike2eatbabies**

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**Title: Echoes of a Lost Life**

******Author: **ilike2eatbabies

** Rating for overall fic WILL be 'M' for mature for future sexual situations.**

**Rating for this chapter: **T (for mild swearing)

**Summary:** This picks up RIGHT AFTER the events of 'Once More With Feeling'. A watcher and slayer have always had a special kind of bond. But what happens when Giles gets thrust into the future and sees exactly how far that bond can go? Cannon through the end of season 7. The atrocities of season 8 do not exist in my world.

**Pairing: **Buffy/Giles with mentions of Willow/Tara and Willow/Kennedy

**Disclaimer: **_All "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" characters, images, settings, references, and excerpts belong to Twentieth Century Fox, Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Mutant Enemy, and/or the WB Television Network and/or the UPN Network. This fan fiction is for personal use and completely non-profit. No infringement is intended nor implied._

**A/N: **Alright, I am warning you now. Updates on this fic will be few and far between, however, I will do my best.

**A very special shout out to my BFF Brit-Nizzle who stayed up with me until 4am many a night to chase plot bunnies, point out Harry Potter plot holes, watch Adult Swim, and nom on some Wendys. She is the tartar sauce to my fish sticks, and without her this fic would not have made it here. **

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**Prologue**

Willow's hands shook violently as she opened the door and entered the Summers' house. Ignoring Tara's question about wanting some juice, she went up the stairs and into their bedroom. She whispered to herself as she began pacing a plan slowly formulating in her mind.

"Baby?" Tara whispered watching Willow with worried eyes as she closed the door behind her.

"We need to fix this. We need to find a way to fix this. We can't let this be. She was happy and we ruined it. Tara, we need to fix this."

She walked over and grabbed her hands, halting her frantic pacing. Seeing the tears in her girlfriend's eyes she pulled her close.

"Shh... honey, let's go to bed and we'll figure this out in the morning."

"No!" She gently pushed Tara away. "You heard her! It was my idea to pull her out of there, and I have to fix this."

Taking a step back, realization washed over her features. "I think I know what to do."

Tara was startled as she tried to wipe the tears away from her face. "You do?"

"I believe so, but it's going to be tricky. Very, very tricky."

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Dawn was restless...

No, scratch that... she was worried.

"Buffy..." she whined softly to herself, "Where are you?" Anxiety getting the best of her, she huffed in frustration as she quietly tip toed out of her room and down the stairs. She was so scared for her sister and the worry she felt tugged viciously at her heart as she crept into the kitchen and picked up the cordless phone from its cradle.

_'maybe Giles has heard from her, it wouldn't hurt to call him right?' S_he thought to herself as her fingers dialed the familiar number, not taking in account that it was well past three in the morning and Giles may have actually been asleep. Not that it mattered because the only thing Dawn's mind was focused on was her sister.

"Hello?" The voice that answered startled Dawn a little bit, his accent was thicker and sleep roughened as if he may have just rolled out of bed.

_'Oops.'_

"Giles?"

"Dawn? What is it? What's wrong?"

"I- I'm sorry to have bothered you so late...it's just..."

"Yes?"

"It's just...Have you heard from Buffy?"

"No. I haven't Dawn." She could hear some rustling sounds from over the phone and she bit her lip in worry. What if something happened to her? What if she was ambushed? What if? Dawn couldn't take the thought of losing her sister _again. _

After all she just got Buffy back.

"Dawn? Dawn!"

She was pulled out of her train of thought by the sound of Giles yelling at her over the phone. "Oh I'm sorry!"'

"It's okay. How long has Buffy been missing?"

Dawn bit her bottom lip again "A few hours. She hasn't come home yet."

There was a pause followed by a curse and then a very disgruntled Giles stating "Alright. I'll be right over."

Dawn's jaw dropped as she pulled the phone away from her ear and gave it an incredulous stare, the dial tone resounding in the too quiet house.

What just happened?

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Dawn found herself opening the door fifteen minutes later when she saw Giles' headlights through one of the big bay windows in the front room, hoping it might be Buffy finally returning home. Dawn however was quickly disappointed and a long sigh escaped past her lips as she watched Giles climb out of the car. Sighing again she went back into the house not even bothering to close the door.

"Is she back yet?" He asked as he entered, closing the door softly behind him.

"No."

"I assume Willow and Tara are out looking for her then?"

Dawn looked at her feet a blush lightly staining her pale cheeks.

"I think they're asleep." She confessed quietly.

Giles looked at her incredulously. "Then why did you call me?"

"Because I wanted to know if you'd heard from her! You were the one that was all 'I'll be right over'. Don't try and blame me for this. "

He sighed, knowing she was right. He was worried about Buffy as well, knowing what she'd been going through.

"Well, I'm going to go and wake Willow and Tara up. I'll see if they can do a locator spell that could find Buffy."

"Okay, I'll go make some cocoa I'm going to need it to calm my nerves. Do you want some?" Dawn asked sweetly.

"No thank you."

Walking up the stairs he made his way to the large bedroom the two women occupied. Knocking softly he cracked the door before opening it slowly when there was no response. "Willow I -" Whatever words he was about to utter instantly died on his lips as his eyes widened at the sight before him. Tara was sitting in the far corner of the room seemingly trying to keep to herself as she watched Willow in morbid fascination.

Giles quickly looked to the floor, noticing a crude drawing of a clock and with startling realization he noticed that upon walking in he knocked over one of the bowls that represented the number eight.

"Shit." he muttered, This was bad, really bad. When he looked back up to see Willow, his breath caught as he saw how a swirl of bright light was enveloping her being as she chanted,

"_Past mistakes, Future consequences..." _

He had to stop this, this situation could get dangerous quickly for everyone. Torn between the consequences of stopping her and the potential outcome of not, he made his decision. Perhaps if he stopped her in time the spell would have no effect on the occupants of the household. He strode over, not realizing he was stepping completely inside of the clock. "Willow!" He shouted, "You have to stop!"

Startled, Willow jumped her chanting coming to a complete halt as the book she was holding fell out of her hands and in a blinding flash of light Giles was gone.

Willow blinked as her brain tried to comprehend what just happened.

"Will?" Tara whispered, her voice hoarse as she turned terrified eyes over to her girlfriend. "Where did he go?"

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A/N: Hope you guys liked it.

Reviews are awesome sauce, and flames are welcome.


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